Torsion pendulum clock

ABSTRACT

A torsion pendulum clock in which the rotating pendulum performs no regulating functions and is driven by an electrical actuator independent from the clockwork; the actuator is accommodated under the pendulum in a housing in the base of the clock.

United States Patent 1191 [111 3,924,401

Heim Dec. 9, 1975 TORSION PENDULUM CLOCK 2,995,005 8/1961 Boyles 58/129 x 3,616,639 11/1971 136 1e 58/28 A [76] Inventor- Helm Sagedobel, 774 3,678,681 7/1972 Saito 58/28 A Black Forest, Germany 3,762,154 10/1973 Pell'ideS 58/129 [22] Filed 1974 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS pp 453,358 1,160,239 8/1969 United Kingdom 58/23 TF [30] Foreign Application P i it D t Primary Examiner-Edith Simmons J ackmon Mar. 28, 1973 Germany 2315431 Agent Eckelma 52 us. (:1. 58/152 R; 58/129 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. G04b 37/12 [58] Field 6: Search 58/28 R, 28 A, 29, 30, A W810 Pendulum Clock whlch the mtatmg P 58/56, 129, 152 R dulum performs no regulating functions and is driven ,by an electrical actuator independent from the clock- [56] References Cited work; the actuator is accommodated under the pendu- UNITED STATES PATENTS lum in a housing in the base of the clock.

2,625,787 1/1953 Reiner 58/30 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 'U.S. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,924,401 7 US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,924,401

* TORSION PENn'u uM cLocK BACKGROUND OF'THE'INVENTION 'l This invention relates to new andiuseful improvements in torsion pendulum clocks.

S 'milar torsion p'endulum clocks 'have alreadyfbeen proposed in which .thegtorsion pendulum has the;draw.-- back thatit' is. suspended on a highly sensitive pendulum spring which rreedsvery expensive protection; Another drawback -is that-the clock'-mustbe exactly plumb so thatthe pendulum can swi-ng freelyQIn this case, aflat; preferablycomposite wire is suspended on a crossbeam and .carries the torsion? pendulum Thewire must fh ave a cer tainelasticity and, in accordance with prior proposals, at least one mildsteel' part i n tera acts electromagnetically with the actuator mounted in the base. This layout constitutes therefore in substance a. torsion pendulum clock. Nonetheless, no clocks are being made according to this proposal because theprinciple is too difficult to put into practice for the reasons stated. In addition, another serious handicap arises in that the torsion pendulum suspended on an elastic wire necessarily contains mild steel parts which are difficult to combine with the usual ornaments on an oscillating pendulum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide a torsion pendulum clock of the above description eliminating the mentioned disadvantages and having a simple design which ensures both simple assembly and does not depend on the design features of other clocks with a torsion pendulum.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the torsion pendulum is mounted on a pin protruding out of the actuator. For this purpose the actuator may be a known electronically or contact controlledmovement serving merely to propel the pendulum.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing ported in the housing only by two points which may be.

placed quite near to each other and are in fact independent from the position of the housing even when the pin is short. This reduces costs. Another feature is that the actuating unit with the pin is provided with permanent magnet discs between .which the electrical coils are placed. Such an electrical drive is very simple and has a capacity favorable and entirely adequate for actuating the torsion pendulum. An additional advantage is that the pin is actuated by a helical spring. Apart from the helical spring, the whole pendulum actuator has virtually only one moving part, viz. the pin itself with the discs and permanent magnets mounted thereon. No other'moving parts are needed.

Finally, means can be provided to operate the clockwork andthe torsion pendulum actuator by the same electric supply. This precludes stoppage of the clockwork while the pendulum continues to rotate. Therefore when the torsion pendulum is seen to oscillate, it

also indicates that th e clockfunctions or at least the batteryis not yetexhausted.

drawings, wherein:'

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS actuator; "and FlGf Tshow's 'the general arrangement partly in section of one example of the" invention;

FIG. 2 i s'a sid'e'vi'eiw partly in section similar to FIG. l but taken across only the torsion pendulum with its FIG. 3 isa' s'ec'tion'vie'w across the actuator in FIG. 2

. 'in'air enlarged scalei" I conventional clockwork (not shown). Serving only as an ornament, the torsion pendulum 16 is mounted under the clock and is operated by an actuator 3 in the base 23. The actuator is entirely operably independent from the clockwork. Details of the actuator 3 are shown generally in FIG. 3. The torsion pendulum 16 is, according to the invention, mounted on a pin 6 which extends upwardly from the pendulum actuator 3. A

tapered coupling element 10 is fitted on pin 6 on which i the torsion pendulum is set with a matching bore. In the illustrated case, actuator 3 is mounted in the clock base 23 by means of a central fixing screw 2 and a cap nut 12. This serves to mount and adjust the actuator separate from the clockwork using only the central fixing screw 2 and nut 12.

Other particulars are shown in FIG. 3. The central actuating pin 6 is only supported at two points, namely, at its bottom with a journaled engagement on a support 4 and at an upper guided engagement 16a in fixing screw 2. In the housing two holes 24 and 25 are provided on opposite sides of screw 2 through which a disc 17 can be seen. Disc 17 and a second disc 18 spaced therefrom are fixed to pin 6 and are provided with permanent magnets 14, 15, and 5. Magnet 5 serves also as a spacer between both discs 17 and 18. Two propulsion coils 7, 11 for the rotor and both discs are fixed to the housing 1 between the discs 17 and 18, the rotor thus being fixed to pin 6.

Under disc 18 a helical spring 8 is provided connected by a suitable fixture with pin 6. The spring develops the return force for the torsion pendulum after each swing.

The electrical coils 7 and 11 are connected to a battery circuit or other source of current which also supplies the clockwork.

A bottom lid 9 is fixed from below by two screws 21, 22 to the housing 1 and carries the already mentioned support 4.

The functioning of clockworks to run the time piece but not the torsion pendulum is basically known. The invention has inter alia the advantage that, as clearly seen in FIG. 1, the whole pendulum actuator 3 is easily mounted in the base 23 of the clock and entirely independent from other assemblies.

Another advantage of the invention is that existing clocks can be provided with additional actuators 3 and a torsion pendulum.

I claim:

1. A torsion pendulum clock comprising a. a base portion,

b. a housing on said base portion,

3,924,401 I v c. a support pin having journaled engagement in said seated and an upper guide member in said housmg housing in vertical relation with an upper portion rotatably receiving said pin. thereof projecting above said housing, 3. The torsion pendulum clock of claim 2 including a d. drive means in said housing driving said pin rotatcouplmg element mounted on p l end of ably in alternate directions in a torsion pendulum 5 said pin and having a tapered outer surface engageable movement, by said pendulum.

e. an ornamental pendulum seated on the projecting torslon pendulum clock of dam 2 wherem end of said pin and being rotatable with said pin in sand *YF means for Sald cqmlinses of how zontal discs secured on said pm in vertically spaced said torsion pendulum movement,

relation, permanent magnets secured to said discs in and a clockwork base pomon the space between said discsgelectrical coils supported abfwe 531d p f for fllsplaymg time in said housing operable with saidmagnets to rotatably 531d clockwork havmg dnve means therefor drive said pin in one direction, an electric circuit for P d 0f d drive means for Said p said coils, and a helical spring connected between said 2. The torsion pendulum clock of claim 1 wherein the 5 h i a d said in for rotatably driving said pin in the journaled support of said pin in said housing comprises other direction. a support member in said housing on which said pin is 

1. A torsion pendulum clock comprising a. a base portion, b. a housing on said base portion, c. a support pin having journaled engagement in said housing in vertical relation with an upper portion thereof projecting above said housing, d. drive means in said housing driving said pin rotatably in alternate directions in a torsion pendulum movement, e. an ornamental pendulum seated on the projecting end of said pin and being rotatable with said pin in said torsion pendulum movement, f. and a clockwork mounted on said base portion above said pendulum for displaying time, g. said clockwork having drive means therefor independent of said drive means for said pin.
 2. The torsion pendulum clock of claim 1 wherein the journaled support of said pin in said housing comprises a support member in said housing on which said pin is seated and an upper guide member in said housing rotatably receiving said pin.
 3. THe torsion pendulum clock of claim 2 including a coupling element mounted on the projecting end of said pin and having a tapered outer surface engageable by said pendulum.
 4. The torsion pendulum clock of claim 2 wherein said drive means for said pin comprises a pair of horizontal discs secured on said pin in vertically spaced relation, permanent magnets secured to said discs in the space between said discs, electrical coils supported in said housing operable with said magnets to rotatably drive said pin in one direction, an electric circuit for said coils, and a helical spring connected between said housing and said pin for rotatably driving said pin in the other direction. 